Charmaine Clamor

Contemporary Jazz

Filipino-American recording artist and cultural trailblazer Charmaine Clamor Charmaine Clamor has earned her Queen of Jazzipino crown. Charmaine’s musical journey began at age 3, entertaining passengers in the back of buses traveling to Manila. Originally from the provincial town of Subic-Zambales, Philippines, young Charmaine provided piano accompaniment while her mother sang kundiman (Filipino torch songs) and English-language classics. These childhood memories inspired Charmaine’s enduring love of American music.

In 2011, while making her sixth-straight appearance at the Philippines International Jazz Festival, Charmaine gave a commanding performance at Manila’s Malacanang Palace for United States Ambassador Harry Thomas and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, President of the Phili III, President of the Philippines.

Through her presence on American radio and incessant touring from Alaska to Florida, Charmaine has been credited with introducing authentic Filipino musical culture to mainstream listeners. To further her lifelong goal of bringing the music of the Philippines to ever larger audiences, Charmaine serves as one of the founding members of JazzPhil-USA, a non-profit organization that promotes jazz artists of Filipino descent in the United States. For six consecutive years, she has lent her notoriety to the popular Filipino-American Jazz Festival, held annually in Hollywood, at the Catalina Bar & Grill Jazz Club, where Charmaine’s appearances with fellow Filipino-American jazz stars inspire standing-room-only crowds.

Her many honors include the Asian Heritage Award in Performing Arts, Filipinas Entertainer of the Year, and recognition as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipinas in the United States.

“Clamor vocally resembles an amalgam of Nancy Wilson and Lena Horne, a sumptuously elegant blend of silk and satin, trimmed with gutsy self-possession. With her sublime recordings, Clamor establishes herself as a dynamic new compass point in World Music.” – Christopher Loudon, JAZZ TIMES